The Kampgrounds of America (KOA) reported that interest in RVs and the RV lifestyle is at an all-time high. Over 13 million households used RVs as their primary camping accommodation in 2020, up from 11 million in 2019—and this trend has continued through 2021. KOA also reported that the majority of 2020 campers planned to increase their camping trips in 2021 and roughly 60 percent of current RV owners said they planned to upgrade or replace their existing RV within the next year.
According to statistics from Recreation.gov, there were over 130,000 RV reservations made in 2020 on public lands including national parks and forests. This represents a three-fold increase from 2008 when there were just 43,000 RV reservations made. Even from 2019 to 2020, total RV reservations increased by nearly 10 percent.
While this growth partly reflects an increase in online RV reservations, RV shipment data from the RV Industry Association (RVIA) shows a mostly upward trend in RV shipments from 2008 to 2020. Additionally, the RV rental market has grown steadily in size over the same time period.
While RVing was growing in popularity before COVID-19 hit, the pandemic inspired a whole new group of RVers to hit the road in 2020. Some people took advantage of the ability to work remotely while others decided to try RVing in order to avoid air travel and hotels.
To find the most popular public lands for RVing, researchers at Outdoorsy, a peer-to-peer marketplace that lets people rent out their RVs, analyzed data from Recreation.gov. The researchers ranked public lands (national parks, national forests, lakes, national monuments, etc.) according to each location’s total number of RV nights booked in 2020. Researchers also calculated the total number of RV reservations in 2020, the average number of nights per reservation, the average number of people per reservation, and the most common home state of out-of-state visitors.
Here are nine of the top spots in decreasing order (most popular to least popular).
State: Arizona
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 18,436
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 8,870
The average number of nights per reservation: 2.1
The average number of people per reservation: 3.1
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: California
Grand Canyon National Park encompasses canyons, river tributaries, and surrounding grounds. The Grand Canyon is situated in Arizona’s northwestern quadrant. With millions of visitors making the trip to the canyon each year, this park is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. In addition, the park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
There are two public areas of Grand Canyon National Park, the North and South Rims. At 7,000 feet above sea level, the Grand Canyon South Rim is the most accessible section of the national park, with numerous places where visitors can pull over to admire the views. The Grand Canyon North Rim, 1,000 feet higher than its southern sibling, isn’t as popular because it is harder to get to, especially when harsh winter weather closes access roads. By car, the trip from one rim to the other is 220 miles. However, if traveling by foot, the distance across the canyon is 21 miles via the Kaibab Trails.
Related Article: Why America Needs More National Parks
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
States: North Carolina and Tennessee
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 11,698
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 3,808
The average number of nights per reservation: 3.1
The average number of people per reservation: 2.8
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Florida
Established in 1926, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is comprised of ridge upon ridge of seemingly endless forest on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. Called the Smokies due to the ever-present morning fog, this mountain range is world-renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and its history of southern Appalachian mountain culture. With nearly 80 historic buildings, spectacular displays of wildflowers, and abundant wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers myriad activities to enjoy.
Observing wildlife is one of the most popular things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains. With a wide variety of animals including approximately 1,500 black bears, the park is a biologist’s paradise. Over 17,000 species have been recorded at the park and experts estimate that there are thousands more to discover. Fishermen can try their hand at catching brook, brown, or rainbow trout swimming throughout the 700 plus miles of fishable streams in the park.
State: Utah
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 11,542
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 6,962
The average number of nights per reservation: 1.7
The average number of people per reservation: 3.3
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: California
Hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) exist on every continent but here is the largest concentration found anywhere on Earth. Situated along a high plateau at the top of the Grand Staircase, the park’s high elevations include numerous life communities, fantastic dark skies, and geological wonders.
Bryce Canyon is not a single canyon but a series of natural amphitheaters or bowls carved into the edge of a high plateau. The most famous of these is the Bryce Amphitheater which is filled with irregularly eroded spires of rocks. Perhaps every visitor to the park will spend at least some time marveling at its four main viewpoints, all found within the first few miles of the park: Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point.
Related Article: The 10 Most Breathtaking National Forests in America
Bryce Canyon National Park has two campgrounds, North and Sunset Campgrounds, located in close proximity to the Visitor Center, Bryce Canyon Lodge, and the Bryce Amphitheater.
State: California
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 10,482
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 3,979
The average number of nights per reservation: 2.6
The average number of people per reservation: 4.2
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Arizona
One of 19 national forests in California, Sequoia covers over 1.1 million acres in three counties of Southern California and offers an abundance of recreation opportunities for people to enjoy. It takes its name from the giant sequoia, the world’s largest tree, which grows in more than 30 groves in the forest’s lower elevation slopes.
Sequoia’s landscape is as spectacular as its trees. Soaring granite monoliths, glacier-carved canyons, roaring whitewater, and more await your discovery at the Sierra Nevada’s southern end. Elevations range from 1,000 feet in the foothill region to peaks over 12,000 feet in the rugged high country, providing visitors with spectacular views of the mountainous landscape.
The Forest offers 52 developed campgrounds, hiking on more than 1,147 miles of trails including 47 miles of the Pacific Coast Trail, over 314,448 acres of wilderness, 222 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers, 2,617 rivers and streams, world-class whitewater rapids, 158 ponds and lakes, boating, fishing, biking, and horseback riding.
San Bernardino National Forest
State: California
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 9,065
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 3,246
The average number of nights per reservation: 2.8
The average number of people per reservation: 3.6
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Nevada
San Bernardino National Forest has many special places including three National Monuments, eight designated wilderness areas, three Wild and Scenic Rivers, and numerous noteworthy and beautiful locales.
Rising abruptly from the desert floor, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument reaches an elevation of 10,834 feet. Providing a picturesque backdrop to local communities, visitors can enjoy magnificent palm oases, snow-capped mountains, a national scenic trail, and wilderness areas. Its extensive backcountry can be accessed via trails from both the Coachella Valley and the alpine village of Idyllwild.
Palms to Pines Scenic Byway runs from Palm Desert past snow-peaked mountains to Banning Pass. This 67-mile route offers a full variety of ecosystems in the Lower Sonoran region. From clusters of desert palms to high country conifer forests and snow-capped mountains, experience a contrast of ecosystems within a short distance. Admire fantastic views of the urbanized valley floor below, craggy mountains, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness area to the north on the Banning Pass section of the byway.
Related Article: National Park Campgrounds by the Numbers
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
State: Arizona
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 8,839
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 2,607
The average number of nights per reservation: 3.4
The average number of people per reservation: 1.9
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: California
Look closely. Look again. The sights and sounds of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an International Biosphere Reserve, reveal a thriving community of plants and animals. Thirty-One species of cactus have adapted themselves to the extreme temperatures and little rainfall including the park’s namesake and the giant saguaro.
Ajo Mountain Drive is the most popular scenic drive in the monument. It is a 21 mile, mostly gravel road usually passable by a normal passenger car. RVs over 25 feet are prohibited due to the twisting and dipping nature of the road.
You can camp in one of two campgrounds within the monument. They have different amenities and offer campers a choice between modern comforts and rustic wilderness. You may see the desert, dark sky subtlety illuminated by countless stars or shadows that are awakened under a full moon’s glow at either campground.
State: California
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 8,516
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 3,320
The average number of nights per reservation: 2.6
The average number of people per reservation: 3.0
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Washington
Caves, condors, and camping are the big draws at Pinnacles which became a national park in 2013. The park gets its name from towering, domed rock structures that seem to bulge out of the earth. Located east of the Salinas Valley, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the natural wonder that still feels a bit off the beaten path.
Pinnacles National Park is divided into two sides—east and west—and there is no way to drive through the park from one side to the other (although you can cross the park on foot, a roughly 5-mile hike).
The extremely endangered California condor is the park’s signature bird: With its nine-foot wingspan and bald head, these impressive creatures are a sight to behold. Bring your binoculars and stay on the lookout for these prehistoric-looking scavengers as well as nearly 200 other distinct species including turkey vultures, hawks, golden eagles, and peregrine falcons.
Pinnacles National Park offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails, hundreds of rock climbing routes, and two talus caves to explore: the Bear Gulch Cave and Balconies Cave.
National Forests in North Carolina
State: North Carolina
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 8,219
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 2,527
The average number of nights per reservation: 3.3
The average number of people per reservation: 2.9
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Florida
There are four national forests in North Carolina: Nantahala National Forest, Pisgah National Forest, Uwharrie National Forest, and Croatan National Forest. Combined, they stretch from the mountains to the sea and include about 1.25 million acres of public lands. Visitors can find plenty of space to camp, hike, mountain bike, hunt, and fish.
Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountains and valleys of southwestern North Carolina. Elevations range from 5,800 feet to 1,200 feet. “Nantahala” is a Cherokee word meaning “land of the noonday sun,” a fitting name for the Nantahala Gorge where the sun only reaches to the valley floor at midday.
Related Article: National Parks Inspire Love of Nature
Pisgah National Forest is a land of mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes. Comprised of over 500,000 acres, the Pisgah is primarily a hardwood forest with whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and hundreds of miles of trails. This national forest is home to the first tract of land purchased under the Weeks Act of 1911 which led to the creation of the national forests in the eastern United States. It is also home to the first school of forestry in the United States, now preserved at the Cradle of Forestry in America historic site and two of the first designated wilderness areas in the east.
States: North Carolina and Virginia
Total number of RV nights booked in 2020: 8,114
Total number of RV reservations in 2020: 2,866
The average number of nights per reservation: 2.8
The average number of people per reservation: 2.5
Most common home state of out-of-state visitors: Florida
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile-long photo op, carving a path of stunning beauty through the southern Appalachian Mountains. Though the name makes clear that the park is amenable to vehicle travel, there are endless opportunities for hiking, backpacking, picnicking, camping, watching wildlife, absorbing cultural history, and plain old sightseeing.
The parkway runs through the Black Mountains of North Carolina, which include five of the 10 highest peaks east of the Mississippi. The tallest is 6,684-foot high Mount Mitchell, off Milepost 355.
Worth Pondering…
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.
—John Muir